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How scoring works: Connections: Sports Edition

Your game score comes from your own puzzle result. Your party rank compares that score with your party's submissions for the same day.

Quick summary

Fewer mistakes improve your game score in Connections: Sports Edition. Your party rank compares your game score with other party submissions for the same game/day and can change as new submissions arrive.

How to score well

  • Confirm each sports category before locking it in.
  • Reducing mistakes earns a better game score.
  • An unfinished board scores lower than a completed board.

How ranking works in parties

  • Fewer mistakes rank higher within the party.
  • Unsolved entries earn 0 points for the day.
  • Tied mistake counts share the same competition rank (1, 1, 3).

Example

In a 3-player party Alice finishes with 0 mistakes, Bob with 2, Carol unsolved. Alice earns 3 points, Bob earns 2, Carol earns 0.

Technical scoring data 
{
    "ranking": {
        "tie_algorithm": {
            "key": "competition_ranking",
            "display_name": "Competition ranking"
        }
    },
    "examples": [
        "Solving Sports Edition with 0 mistakes earns the maximum game score.",
        "Solving with 3 mistakes (the most allowed) still counts as solved and ranks above any unsolved board.",
        "Failing to complete the board earns the lowest game score."
    ],
    "rule_text": "Fewer mistakes earn a better game score.",
    "edge_cases": [
        "A solved board with 3 mistakes ranks above an unsolved board.",
        "Two players who finish with the same mistake count share the same competition rank within their party (e.g. 1, 1, 3)."
    ],
    "measurement": {
        "metric_key": "mistake_count",
        "metric_label": "Mistakes",
        "scoring_type": "lower_better"
    },
    "human_review": {
        "checklist": [
            "Verify rule_text reflects the scoring behavior without ambiguity.",
            "Verify examples are readable and match expected outcomes.",
            "Verify edge_cases are clear and non-conflicting."
        ],
        "machine_verifiable_scope": [
            "measurement.scoring_type",
            "absolute_scoring.method",
            "absolute_scoring.solved_floor",
            "absolute_scoring.unsolved_score",
            "absolute_scoring.range.best",
            "absolute_scoring.range.worst_solved",
            "absolute_scoring.brackets",
            "ranking.tie_algorithm.key",
            "party_ranking.normalization_summary"
        ]
    },
    "party_ranking": {
        "normalization_summary": "Within a party, players are ranked on this game using fewer mistakes first, with unsolved entries ranked last. Each player earns one point for every party member they beat, plus one. Players who don't solve the puzzle earn zero points for this game."
    },
    "schema_version": 1,
    "absolute_scoring": {
        "range": {
            "best": 1,
            "worst_solved": 0.2
        },
        "method": "lower_better",
        "scoring_type": "lower_better",
        "solved_floor": 0.2,
        "unsolved_score": 0
    }
}